Owning and caring for a sourdough starter can be incredibly rewarding. If you are an everyday sourdough bread baker, you probably won’t have a ton of sourdough discard because it is getting used up in your bread recipes. If you do not bake bread everyday, or even in the beginning of starting a starter – you will probably have some discard saved up. Don’t toss it out – save it for your next breakfast and make these delicious sourdough discard waffles!

Why use sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is the portion of starter that you remove before feeding your starter again. It has not been freshly fed and is usually more acidic, less active, and not meant for leavening bread. There are many things you can make with sourdough discard that don’t need to rise the same way that bread does, like waffles, so discard works perfectly. It also adds flavor and moisture to your recipe!

What you’ll need

You likely have all of the ingredients in your pantry to make these waffles already. Aside from having a waffle iron, you’ll just need a few ingredients to get started with your discard waffles. Here is the list of ingredients you will need:

Sourdough discard – What you would normally toss during feedings
Flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Salt
Sugar
Milk
Eggs
Melted butter
Vanilla

Waffle tips

Don’t overmix your batter – here’s why. This can contribute to too much gluten production which will result in a tough texture, flat waffles, and heavier, denser bites. Stir until just combined – it’s okay if your mixture is a little lumpy. If you fold anything in like chocolate chips or fruit, do it at the end – with minimal extra stirring.

Make sure your waffle iron is hot and ready to go before you start pouring batter on the iron. Not waiting long enough could result in waffles that are over-cooked on the outside and not done on the inside.

When they are done, let them rest on a wire rack – stacking them can make them retain the moisture and make them soggy.

Serving ideas

There are plenty of options for waffle toppings – sweet and savory!

Sweet

Keep it simple with traditional maple syrup, or get fancy and add whipped cream, fruit, Nutella, etc. Some other sweet topping ideas are chocolate chips and powdered sugar.

Savory

Savory and waffles don’t seem like they would go together, but just wait until you try it for yourself. Fried eggs, bacon, avocado, cheese – the possibilities are endless!

Make it your own

Feel free to experiment with this recipe. You can add in fruit, nuts, cheeses, herbs, chocolate chips, etc. This would also be a great way to use up any ingredients in your kitchen that you don’t want to throw out.

Storage

This recipe can easily be made ahead of time for meal prep. Make a batch and let them cool completely in a single layer. Place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer. When they are completely frozen, place them in a large zip lock bag and back in the freezer.

If you don’t have enough space to put a cookie sheet in your freezer, you can use wax or parchment paper to place in between each waffle and then place in the zip lock bag. Then they won’t get stuck together when you are ready to reheat them. When you are ready to eat them, just pop one in the toaster in the morning to give them that crispy exterior and enjoy!

Final thoughts

There is something so gratifying when you are able to use up any kind of waste in the kitchen to make something totally new that won’t go to waste. I hope you enjoy making these sourdough discard waffles!